Retribution
by DarkPhoenix101
Summary: AU 7th Year Story. When her friend is attacked by Draco Malfo, Hermione takes drastic action. WARNING:IMPLIED CHARACTER DEATH!


Retribution

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe and all its characters belong to J. K. Rowling. I just like to play in it

Hermione Granger sighed in exasperation. Now a Seventh Year and Head Girl, she wondered why she still bothered to try and drive magical knowledge into her two friends. She was seated at one of the tables in the Grffindor common room, trying to coach Harry for a Potions test the next day, but was finding it an uphill struggle.

"It's powdered spine of lionfish, Harry" she explained kindly "not stonefish." "And you're supposed to stir counter clockwise instead of clockwise."

Harry Potter despairingly ran his fingers through his already untidy, black hair. "It's no use Hermione. I'll never remember all this. I haven't a hope in the NEWTS"

"Just relax Harry" Hermione soothed " You'll be fine. We've still got months to go before the NEWTS and…"

Hermione stopped speaking as the door to the portrait hole suddenly opened and a slim, golden haired young girl dashed into the common room and up the stairs to the girl's dorm. She at once recognised the girl as Veronica Rosewood, a fourth year muggleborn witch who had recently transferred to Hogwarts from a South American Wizarding school, when her parents moved back to England. Veronica had been having a great deal of trouble adjusting to Hogwarts, especially the prejudiced attitude of the Slytherins. Blood prejudice was not nearly as much of a problem in South America as in Britain and Veronica had found the vicious taunting about her parentage hard to cope with. As Head Girl Hermione had been trying to help her adjust, and in the process a close friendship had been forged between the two girls, despite the difference in their ages. Now she was obviously upset again and Hermione decided she ought to help.

"Could you manage on your own for a bit, Harry?" she asked her friend. "I think there might be a problem I need to deal with."

"Yeah sure Hermione" Harry replied, not really paying much attention to what she was saying. He was too worried about the forthcoming test to really notice anything else.

Hermione walked up the stairs and quietly entered the Fourth Year dorm. Veronica was lying face down on her bed, and even from the door Hermione could see the girl's frail body shuddering with suppressed sobs. Hermione walked over and sat down on the bed, laying her hand gently on her friend's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Veronica?" she asked gently "Have the Slytherins been teasing you again?" There was no reply to Hermione's question apart from a muffled sob. "Veronica, what's wrong? Please tell me!"

Veronica turned round and Hermione was shocked to see the anguish in her tear stained face

"Hermione I…" she broke off abruptly and tears began to stream down her face

"Veronica" Hermione pulled her friend into a hug "Please tell me what's wrong. I promise I'll help you whatever the problem is!"

"You can't help me" Veronica whispered "Hermione, I... I've been raped!"

Hermione gasped but said nothing, and for a few moments the dorm was silent apart from the sound of Veronica's quiet sobs. Hermione was too shocked for a while to really know how to respond. She did her best to pull herself together for her friend's sake.

"Who did it, Veronica" she asked quietly, and then when the girl did not reply said more urgently "Veronica, please you must tell me."

"It ... it was" Veronica hesitated, and then whispered the name fearfully as though merely saying it might conjure up her attacker "It was Draco Malfoy!"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione stalked silently through the corridors of Hogwarts, making sure to keep her quarry in sight. All her efforts to persuade Veronica to report Malfoy had been in vain. The girl had insisted that even if she was believed at Hogwarts, Malfoy would never be found guilty in a trial. And Hermione had reluctantly acknowledged the truth of that, his family's wealth and social position would protect him from conviction and then he and the rest of the Slytherins would want revenge on Veronica; her position at the school would become intolerable.

This logic, and her determination to make Malfoy pay for what he had done was what had led to this; Hermione trailing him through the twisting passages of Hogwarts.

She noticed that they were now in a little used part of the castle; it was time to make her move.

"Malfoy" the Slytherin halted and turned round at the sound of her voice "I want a word with you!"

Malfoy walked slowly towards her "And just what could Mudblood Granger have to say that would interest me?" he inquired with a sneer.

"It's about Veronica Rosewood" Hermione noted the wary look that appeared on his face when she mentioned the name. "I know what you did to her Malfoy, and you are not going to get away with it. I'm giving you a simple choice. Either you come with me to Professor McGonagall now and admit what you did or else…"

"Or else what?" he interrupted. The furious expression on his face might have frightened some but Hermione was not intimidated.

"Or else I will have to punish you myself!" she concluded.

The next moment Hermione was thrown against the wall, her arms pinned above her head.

"You stupid little fool!" he growled at her, and then laughed "And they call you the cleverest witch in the school? Not so clever was it? Confronting me alone without even drawing your wand." A gloating expression suddenly appeared on his face and he pressed his body against hers. "It must be my lucky day! Two mudbloods in the same evening and the Queen of Mudbloods herself! Oh I'm really going to enjoy having you Granger!"

Hermione was nauseated to feel his arousal pressing against her thigh, but her voice betrayed no hint of fear. "Oh I don't think so Malfoy"

"Oh really?" he sneered at her "And just how do you propose to stop me?"

"Like this!" No sooner had she spoken those words than Malfoy released her wrists with a scream of pain. He staggered back, staring in disbelief at the palms of his hands, which were rapidly blistering, as though he had been holding red-hot metal instead of human flesh. Hermione flicked a finger and he was thrown violently against the opposite wall and slid to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Her mocking laughter echoed through the empty corridor. "Didn't know I could do wandless magic, did you Draco?" she taunted.

"You filthy mudblood bitch!" he staggered to his feet, drawing his wand clumsily "I'll make you pay for that no matter what fancy tricks you can do. REDUCTO!"

With a casual wave of her hand, Hermione reflected the lethal spell back at her opponent, who just managed to cast a shield charm in time to save himself from his own curse. She snapped her fingers and Malfoy's wand vanished with a soundless flash of white light. Another snap of her fingers and ropes materialised from thin air, winding themselves round the terrified Slytherin, who fell to the floor struggling helplessly.

Hermione walked over to her fallen enemy and knelt down beside him. "And now Mr. Malfoy" she said menacingly "it's time to pay for your misdeeds."

Malfoy was sweating profusely, his face white and terrified. "You wouldn't dare touch me Granger" he gasped, "my father will…"

"Your father won't save you this time" she interrupted him savagely "you see after tonight neither he nor anyone else will see or hear from you again!"

Draco Malfoy's mind reeled as he struggled to take in the meaning of Hermione's words. He desperately tried to speak but no words would come and icy terror gripped his heart as he saw the deadly resolve in her normally kind brown eyes.

"MUS MUTATIS!" Hermione intoned her spell softly and Malfoy vanished with a quiet pop. "ACCIO" she whispered, and the silver grey mouse he had become shot into her waiting hand.

"Come along, Mr. Malfoy" Hermione murmured, rising to her feet while keeping a tight grasp on the transfigured Slytherin. "There's someone I want you to meet."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione closed the door of her room behind her and walked over to her bed, where Crookshanks was sleeping. The bandy legged cat stirred as she sat down next to him and then stretched himself before rubbing his head against her arm in greeting.

"Hello sweetie" Hermione whispered to her pet. She stroked Crookshanks with one hand, withdrawing the other from her robes to reveal a small desperately struggling silver-grey form. "Look! I've brought you supper!"

THE END

A/N: This is the first Harry Potter story I have posted. There are several H/Hr fics I have planned or am in the process of writing, but the idea for this popped into my head and I just had to write it. Please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism welcome.


End file.
